US military says it has struck nearly 2,000 targets in Iran

The US military commander in the Middle East said American forces have struck nearly 2,000 targets so far in Iran as part of the largest firepower buildup in the region in a generation.

"They have already struck nearly 2,000 targets with more than 2,000 munitions. They have severely degraded Iran's air defenses and destroyed hundreds of Iran's ballistic missiles, launchers, and drones," Admiral Brad Cooper of US Central Command said in a video message. "The first 24 hours of this operation were nearly double the scale" of the first day of shock-and-awe strikes on Iraq in 2003, "and they continue with 24/7 strikes into Iran," he added.